Mattress manufacturing process and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9839301-B2
Application number	US-201615003944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A process and apparatus for manufacturing a mattress generally includes an automated foam layer placement apparatus for accurately securing one or more foam layers onto an innercore unit and bucket assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for applying an adhesive to a top surface of an innercore unit and bucket assembly, comprising:
transferring the innercore unit and bucket assembly onto a planar conveying surface of an adhesive application station;
moving the planar conveying surface carrying the innercore unit and bucket assembly along a travel path;
detecting a leading edge of the innercore unit and bucket assembly with a sensor;
automatically spraying a controlled amount of an adhesive in a defined pattern onto the top surfaces of the innercore unit and bucket assembly beginning at the leading edge to a trailing edge, wherein automatically spraying the controlled amount of the adhesive comprises discharging the adhesive from a bridge spanning across the travel path, wherein the bridge comprises a plurality of spray nozzles movable across the bridge in fluid communication with a source of the adhesive, wherein the plurality of spray nozzles are located on the bridge;
adjusting the controlled amount of adhesive based on density and hardness properties of a foam layer providing the top surfaces;
detecting the trailing edge of the innercore unit and bucket assembly; and
discontinuing the spraying of the adhesive.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a motion sensor.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein transferring the innercore unit and bucket assembly onto the planar conveying surface comprises moving the innercore unit and bucket assembly onto the planar conveying surface carried by an automated guide vehicle, wherein the planar conveying surface of the automated guide vehicle is coplanar to the planar conveying surface of the adhesive application station.

5. The process of claim 1 , the innercore unit comprises a plurality of coil springs.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein moving the planar conveying surface comprises varying a speed of the planar conveying surface to tailor a feed rate of the adhesive onto the innercore unit and bucket assembly.

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising vertically moving the bridge spanning across the travel path to a defined height above the planar conveying surface prior to automatically spraying the controlled amount of the adhesive.

8. The process of claim 1 , further comprising statically positioning the plurality of spray nozzles when automatically spraying the controlled amount of the adhesive.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically positioning the plurality of spray nozzles when automatically spraying the controlled amount of the adhesive.

Assignees

• Dreamwell Ltd

Inventors

• Subhedar Vinit V
• Fowler Gregory
• Jan Francis

Classifications

• B05C5/027

  Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05C11/1021

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05C11/1018 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B13/04

  the spray heads being moved during {spraying} operation · CPC title

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• B68G7/051

  Mattress-filling devices, i.e. sliding a tick or preformed cover over a cushion or sliding a cushion into a tick or preformed cover, e.g. by means of a press or of a depression table · CPC title